Local News

Scott Thiel makes difference in lives

Acts as a role model

By Dan Barker

Times News Editor

Posted:
04/25/2014 04:00:00 PM MDT

Columbine Elementary School physical education teacher Scott Thiel works with kids on the fundamentals of floor hockey. He said he likes for all the kids to be active at the same time, not waiting for a turn. (Dan Barker / Fort Morgan Times)

"(He) has become a vital part of the Columbine staff in the past four years he has been here," said Principal Randy Watson.

Not only does Thiel insist on high expectations from his students, he also stresses literacy and math, and finds ways to make all of his instruction fun, Watson said.

Watson noted that Thiel becomes a role model for some children who do not have that in their lives "by showing that he cares for them and guiding them to making positive choices in their everyday lives."

Thiel said he is only one of several men at the school, which is very nice as it allows for a number of role models.

Of course, Thiel's main job is making sure that kids develop physically, as well as mentally.

His P.E. lessons address state and national standards, and get kids involved in learning.

"Kids will find success in what they can do," Thiel said while talking about his teaching philosophy.

There is no point in setting a basketball hoop at 10 feet if the kids cannot throw that high, he said. But if they can hit a shorter basket, they are encouraged to move forward, and their ability levels will rise, Thiel explained.

P.E. should be a way they can express themselves physically. They do not have to be No. 1, but they can be the best they can be that day, he said.

Thiel said he wants students to have fun and to know they improved.

He said that he includes as many games as he can, but they are games they can all participate in, not stand around waiting for a turn.

Those games sometimes include other subjects such as math and reading. For example, Watson said, Thiel has a physical version of the child's game Connect Four, stressing patterns and concepts like "diagonal" along with developing a strategy for the team.

Students learn how math can be applied to sports. While these experiences may not teach the more abstract math concepts, they do give them some real-life experiences of ideas such as geometry and angles, Thiel said.

They can learn the idea of estimating by predicting how many times they can jump rope without missing, he said.

Or they can practice math skills by simply keeping score, Thiel noted.

This is Thiel's 14th year as a teacher. He graduated Fort Morgan High School in 1993, and earned a degree in human performance and wellness from Mesa State College in 2000. During that time, he played some college sports.

Thiel said that he had always wanted to teach, which came naturally with two parents who taught.

He started teaching with special education at Fort Morgan Middle School, went on to teach first grade at Thomson Primary School in Brush for a year, and taught P.E. for seven years for Beaver Valley Elementary School and Thomson before moving to Columbine.

Thiel said that his classroom experiences opened his eyes to what classroom teachers do.

In addition to his P.E. work, Thiel steps in to do things like leading Columbine's safety patrol, assisting with music programs, covering other teachers' classes, organizing and hosting a Friday get together because he sensed a lag in staff morale and working with special ed math students, Watson said.

"Scott always rises to the challenge with a positive attitude and demeanor," Watson said.

Thiel's "expectations for (good) behavior and conduct are high and consistent, and he absolutely insists that students rise to those expectations," Watson noted.

Thiel said it is beneficial for students to see him in a light other than P.E. teacher. It is valuable, for instance, for them to see him reading. It makes a difference.

He was modest about the award, saying any of the Columbine teachers could have won. Teachers at the school work together as a team, and they all help out where they can.

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